Posts tagged: When to Plant Late Season Crops

When to Plant: Find your average last frost date (The Old Farmer's Almanac offers an online calculator) and count backward from the seed’s average maturity period to figure the optimum planting time, adding a week or two for weather variations."It’s hard to believe during the hottest days of summer, but autumn is on its way. And although we often think of late summer as the height of the harvest season, by planting a second-season garden you can yield crops all the way into early winter. In fact, some varieties grow best during the milder days and cooler nights of fall.

It’s hard to believe during the hottest days of summer, but autumn is on its way. And although we often think of late summer as the height of the harvest season, by planting a second-season garden you can yield crops all the way into early winter. In fact, some varieties grow best during the milder days and cooler nights of fall.

When to Plant: Find your average last frost date (The Old Farmer's Almanac offers an online calculator) and count backward from the seed’s average maturity period to figure the optimum planting time, adding a week or two for weather variations.

Successful Second-Season Planting

• Make room for new late-season plants by pulling out any varieties that are no longer performing well, taking care to remove stems and roots.

• Prepare the late-season garden bed by loosening any compacted soil and digging in organic matter.

• When an early frost is predicted, cover plants overnight with woven fabric to provide additional protection of 2 to 5 degrees.

• For faster gratification, choose quick-growing varieties that go from seed to table in 40 days or less, such as arugula and lettuce.

• Select fall or winter varieties of seeds when available, or look for cultivars with earlier maturing dates.

• Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, snow peas and radishes will usually handle temperatures that dip to the upper 20s.

• Collard greens and kale can survive mid-20 degree temperatures, and because the plants produce natural sugars as a defense against the cold, they often taste sweeter and more flavorful after a hard frost."